×Campbell Mountain 9K - Race 1 of the Starting Block Cross Country Series Sign up now!

×Campbell Mountain 9K - Race 1 of the Starting Block Cross Country Series Sign up now!

2010 Bike Barn 10K

Nathan Champness and Glen Lear repeated their one-two finish of last year's race at the 2010 edition of the Bike Barn 10K, held on a cool and grey September day in Penticton. The race was a lot closer this year though, with Champness (M20-29) holding off Lear (M30-34) by only 15 seconds, 35:26 to 35:41, whereas last year he won easily by about 90 sec. Master blaster Sergio Pio (M45-49) improved over last year by almost two minutes to also contend for the victory, finishing a close third in 35:45 to easily take his first age-graded victory of the year (32:32). The victory put him only 3 points behind Brian Rourke, who did not compete, in the chase for the Willis Greenaway Trophy. Ivan McKnight (1st, M50-54, 40:23) was second on age-graded time with 35:02, to move to third in the trophy standings, and seventy-five year old Guenter Naumann of Okanagan Falls ran 51:49 to win his group and take third A-G at 35:17, heading Champness and Lear.

On the womens side, Cindy Rhodes (F50-54) won in 40:36, (eleventh overall), only 6 seconds up on local runner Stacey Cleveland (F30-34), while Cindy's sister Laurelee Welder (W55-59) was third in 42:08. Welder, coming off an impressive age-group victory at Ironman Canada only two weeks before, beat Rhodes on age-grading for the first time ever - 34:05 to 34:11, although Rhodes did wrap up the overall standings for the fourth year in a row. It was Rhodes first loss on age-grading since the Blossom Ten Miler in 2007. Kelowna's Liz Borrett (F70-74) ran 54:19 and garnered third A-G at 35:05.

The mens 55-59 group featured a close race, with the top three all finishing consecutively within 23 seconds of each other. Mike Braid took his first victory of the year, with Bill Head second and Don Debienne third.

Thanks to race director Deb Lougheed, the Penticton Pounders, and all the race volunteers for a great event. Steve King returned from working a triathlon in Banff the day before to announce the runners. Hearing the voice of the best announcer in the sport is one of the bonus thrills of racing in Penticton.

The last race of the series is the toughest, the 18K hybrid road/trail run from Knox Mountain in Kelowna to Quail's Gate Winery on the west side, known as the Peak to Beak. With several close races in the standings, there is no escaping the challenge for some runners! The race goes September 19 and I'm asking if the organizers will take up a collection for the Terry Fox Run, which goes the same day. A loonie from everyone is all Terry asked, and would be much appreciated by the TFR.